After The Storm
by luridclouds
Summary: The aftermath of Quinn's accident from Rachel's point of view.


Just a little something that sprung to mind. I own nothing except my overactive imagination. Since I was able to devise a plot for this, it will be continued... Thank you for the reviews so far :)

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><p>Rachel's heels clicked on the sterile floor of the hospital as she paced up and down the corridor. She was still wearing her wedding dress and each of her steps had the clicking of her shoes and the ruffling of fabric.<p>

_"I'm not going to stand here and watch you ruin your life by marrying Finn Hudson"_

Quinn's words reverberated on her brain as she walked. She knew that there was more to it than just concern about Rachel's future. She knew that Quinn had a hidden agenda about that and, even though that would've been the first conclusion she'd get, she also knew that it had absolutely nothing to do with Finn, that was between Quinn and Rachel and just the two of them.

"Rachel, will you stop pacing? You're driving me insane," Kurt's voice came from the corner and Rachel spared a look at her friend.

"I'm sorry," she said meekly and walked up to one of the empty seats. Her entire wedding party was assembled at the waiting room. That had been such a great day, they had won Regionals and she'd be getting married to the love of her life. Everything was falling into place nicely. She was going to get married to the man of her life and would follow her dreams and move to New York as soon as she graduated.

But why did it all feel so off? Why it felt like something was missing. Why, even though she might've seemed like it to everybody else, she wasn't happy?

She looked up to the double doors leading to the OR and she immediately knew why. Her answers were in there, they were in there with Quinn. All of those mixed feelings, all of those insecurities... Behind that door laid the woman that had become so important in her life that she didn't feel safe enough to take a huge step like marrying Finn without her presence, without her approval.

"I'm hungry, how long do you think it will be until they're done?" Finn asked with those same dopey eyes she had fallen in love with. Or thought she had. She wasn't sure anymore.

Her disgust must've been clear in her face, because he held up his hands. "Okay, I'm sorry, I just don't get why Quinn is so important to you all of a sudden," he said in a tone that Rachel could identify as hurt. He was hurt about the importance Rachel had given Quinn on that day, a day that was supposed to be theirs. And even though she could understand where he was coming from, that infuriated her.

"There's a human being fighting for her life in there and all you can think of is food?" Rachel said indignantly and stood up, resuming her pacing.

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><p>The surgery took 6 hours, and during that time, people started to leave. The only ones that remained in there still were Rachel, Santana and Brittany.<p>

Her dad's had gone home and gotten back with a fresh change of clothes to her, freeing her of the satin prison of her wedding dress that they took home.

"Are you sure you don't want to come with us? We can come back later when the surgery is done," Leroy had offered, but Rachel had just shaken her head.

"I can't, dad, I'm sorry."

"Are you here for Quinn Fabray?" An African-American doctor who had just come through the double doors asked, eyeing the three teenagers.

"Yes," Santana was the first to stand up. "How is she?"

"She's stable now. We've managed to stop the internal bleeding and fix some of her fractures, but we'll still need time to assess the damage to her spine," the doctor told in a calm voice.

'Her spine!' Rachel thought to herself alarmed. Quinn had just been readmitted into the Cheerios and had been so proud of it. If her spine had been compromised, that could mean she'd never be able to lead the cheerleading team again.

"Can we see her?" Rachel heard Santana asking the doctor.

"She's in ICU right now and sedated, I recommend you come back tomorrow to see if there was enough change in her prognosis to move her to a room.

Rachel quietly nodded to the doctor, before feeling a single tear running down her cheek. Her heart felt like it had been stomped on, it was hurting so bad like it had never hurt before.

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><p>After tossing and turning for the better part of the night, exhaustion had engulfed Rachel in a dreamless sleep. She woke up in a start, unsure of her surroundings. Then it all hit her like a two by four. Quinn had been in an accident. Quinn was fighting for her life at the hospital. Quinn's spine had possibly been damaged.<p>

She took a quick shower and threw on the same clothes as the night before, heading straight to the garage.

"Rachel, you need to eat something!" She absently heard one of her fathers say, but didn't stop until she was safely accomodated in her car, heading to the hospital.

It took almost ten days for Quinn to wake up. Rachel spent her days at the hospital, getting into the ICU every time a nurse felt sorry for her and the girl in a coma that had no family coming to visit.

She'd talk to Quinn in those moments, telling her the most inane things, like talking about the weather, just so the blonde could listen to a familiar voice and know that she wasn't alone in there.

She'd hold Quinn's hand and sing to her, she'd comb her hair or she just sat there, praying for Quinn to wake up.

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><p>It was the ninth day since the accident, and Rachel had just gotten to the hospital. One of the nurses she had befriended during those days had greeted her with a smile. "She briefly woke up last night, and she called for you," the woman said and Rachel smiled. The first genuine smile since forever.<p>

"Can I see her?" She asked expectantly and the other woman nodded.

"They're just running some tests, take a seat and I'll come and get you as soon they're done."

"Thanks," Rachel said and took one of the plastic chairs available.

A couple of hours went by and the nurse finally called Rachel, guiding her through that maze of corridors she already knew so well to the ICU where Quinn was.

"They told me you woke up yesterday," she said softly, holding Quinn's hands. "You had to wait until I left, hadn't you?" She joked with a small smile and felt a small tug on her hand.

"Quinn? You awake?" Rachel asked startled, looking at the blonde's face for signs of activity. Quinn's hand tugged at hers again and, suddenly, hazel eyes stared at her intently.

"Quinn, you're awake!" Rachel celebrated, grinning.

"Rachel..." the other woman whispered in a raspy voice.

"I'm here."

"I love you, Rachel," Quinn said and her eyes closed, as all the little strength she had had been spent in the uttering of that sentence.

Rachel's mind went immediately in overdrive. "Quinn, please, what's that supposed to mean?" She asked frantically, squeezing the blonde's hand that laid limply against hers as it had been for the last nine days.

"Ms. Berry? You need to go now," the gentle voice of the nurse brought her back to reality and just then she noticed she was sitting on the bed with Quinn, her hand firmly tucked between Rachel's.

"But, but..." Rachel tried to argue, but nothing came out of her mouth. Instead, she stood up and allowed herself to be guided out of the room, stealing a quick last glance at the peacefully asleep Quinn.

"I love you too," she whispered, seconds before the door closed behind her.


End file.
